Steve Alexander

Saturday Dose

Saturday Dose: The Swish

John Wall started for the Wizards and had 14 points, five assists and two blocks in 21 minutes. It’s been baby steps with Wall thus far and he’s still on a minutes count, but the reality is that if he doesn’t suffer a setback, he is setting up for a big second half of the season. Jordan Crawford made an appearance last night with 19 points and three 3-pointers off the bench. He hadn’t done much since returning from a sprained ankle, but might be ready to start playing well again. However, he’ll have to do so behind Wall and a hot Bradley Beal, so I’m not expecting to see consistent big lines from Crawford.

Brand New Love – Sebadoh

Elton Brand started at center over Chris Kaman for the Mavericks and had eight points, 13 boards and two blocks in 25 minutes. Brand should be picked up if he’s still available in your league.

Jimmy, Jimmy – Ric Ocasek

Luol Deng was out again on Friday with his hamstring injury and once again, Jimmy Butler went off for 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Butler had a great summer league and I was hoping for more out of him this season, but he just hasn’t gotten much of a shot with Deng healthy for most of the season. But in his last four starts with Deng sidelined, Butler is averaging 15.5 points and 9.3 boards, and has likely earned more playing time once Deng is back, which could happen today. Just keep an eye on Butler. And I don’t know how it happened, but Kirk Hinrich caught fire for six 3-pointers, 25 points and four assists. He’s up and down like a yo-yo right now, but might be worth grabbing, as he apparently is feeling healthy. And even with Hinrich playing like it was 2007, Nate Robinson added 22 points in 21 minutes.

Repulsion – Quasi

Greivis Vasquez was benched for the fourth quarter last night, finishing with just two points, six assists and two turnovers in 24 minutes. Coach Monty Williams said “He’ll be OK” after the game, but this benching is a little concerning to me. He should bounce back on Sunday against Memphis, but if he doesn’t, the red flag will officially be flying.

Texas Never Whispers - Pavement

Kawhi Leonard had 10 points, eight boards, two assists, four steals and two 3-pointers in 28 minutes after missing Wednesday’s game with a knee injury. He’s still not putting up monster lines, but if he can start doing this on a consistent basis, he’ll be a must-own player. DeJuan Blair came out of nowhere for a season-high 22 points and four rebounds with Tim Duncan out again, but has been far too unreliable to use, even on nights when Duncan will sit. Manu Ginobili played just eight minutes and he should be benched until he starts getting more run from the coaching staff.

Two Points (guards) For Honesty - Guster

Raymond Felton is expected to start for the Knicks on Saturday, while Jason Kidd, who will move to the bench in order for Iman Shumpert to start, might sit out with a sore back. Kidd could use a day off given all the minutes he’s played this season, so I’m planning as if he won’t play today.

Wished I Was A Giant – Guided By Voices

Andrea Bargnani (elbow) is a couple weeks away from returning for the Raptors, while teammate Jonas Valanciunas (finger) could return as soon as next Saturday. We’re eventually going to have a real logjam involving those two and current starters Amir Johnson and Ed Davis, so owners of all four should plan accordingly, and stock up on aspirin.

First Breath After Coma – Explosions In The Sky

Patrick Patterson had 18 points, 13 boards, a block and a 3-pointer on Friday night. He’s been struggling to produce, but finally looked good last night. It’s time to put him on your radar.

Off He Goes – Pearl Jam

Spencer Hawes has been working with the first unit for the Sixers and could see a bump in value if he ends up winning the job. If you need a center in a deep league, keep a close eye on Hawes. Just remember that Andrew Bynum is supposedly going to be ready to play around the All-Star break.

Sleep Sunshine – The Whigs

Marreese Speights debuted for the Cavaliers and had 10 points and six boards off the bench. It looks like he’s going to get some run off the bench and is worth a deep-league look for his new team, but Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson are locked into the starting five the rest of the way.

I don’t normally write the Saturday Dose, so to celebrate the occasion I’ve decided to go with music headlines for each item today. It’s something I used to do a lot more of, and while some people are glad I ditched the policy, I know others will be glad to see it return. In any case, here’s what went down on Friday night. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.

The Swish – The Hold Steady

Some dude swished a hook shot from half court to win $75,000 on Friday night in Miami, and if that wasn’t spectacular enough, LeBron James became overwhelmed with emotion and tackled the guy at mid-court. The fact Bron showed so much emotion for someone else’s good fortune, and disregarded the fact he was still in the middle of an NBA game, was pretty awesome to see. LeBron’s “Decision” is officially a thing of the past, and he can’t seem to do anything wrong these days. If you somehow haven’t seen it yet, check it out by hitting this link.

Too Far Down – Husker Du

The Hawks overcame an incredible 27-point deficit to come back and eventually beat the Celtics in double-overtime, led by Kyle Korver’s 27 points and his career-best eight 3-pointers. Josh Smith couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, hitting just 7-of-20 shots and 3-of-9 free throws, but also played well at times, made some key defensive stops to keep his team in the game, and nearly triple-doubled. The trade rumors on Smoove aren’t going to go away anytime soon, especially after he said Friday that he fully expects to be a max-contract guy, which might be too rich for the Hawks’ blood. Al Horford (hamstring) and Devin Harris (ankle) both returned and played well for the Hawks. Horford didn’t show signs of his injury, going for 24 points and 13 boards in 51 minutes. The sad news is that I turned the game off and watched "Trouble With The Curve" with the family instead of witnessing the comeback.

Perfect Circle – R.E.M.

Kobe Bryant was outscored by Steve Nash, Nash was out-assisted by Kobe, and Dwight Howard ignored his sore shoulder looked like a beast as the Lakers rolled over the Jazz like they were standing still on Friday night. Kobe just missed a triple-double with 14 points, nine boards and a season-high 14 dimes, Nash had 15 points and just two assists, and Howard added 17 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. This could signal the end of Earl Clark’s run, as he had seven points and six boards in 27 minutes, while Metta World Peace had 17 points, five boards and five 3-pointers in the easy win. The Lakers and their fans were giddy after this one, which was probably the best game they’ve played all season. Maybe the closed-door team meeting helped, but we’ll have to see how they look against the Thunder on Sunday before officially starting the celebration. But Friday night was definitely a step in the right direction.

Heartbreakin’ Man – My Morning Jacket

Ersan Ilyasova blew up for a season-high 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. His new owners are dancing on the ceiling over his recent success, while the ones who hung in there with him all year, only to drop him just before he got his stuff together, are pulling their hair out. Sell high if you like, but I think Ilyasova is here to stay for the Bucks the rest of the way – finally.

Alarmed – Built To Spill

Deron Williams suffered a left quad contusion in last night’s blowout loss and didn’t return to the game. The Nets are hoping he can play against the Rockets today, but I’m thinking he’s more of a game-time decision than anything else. And if he misses tonight’s game, he’ll also probably be iffy for Monday’s game against the Magic.

Call the Doctor – Sleater Kinney

Blake Griffin’s sprained ankle doesn’t appear to be a big deal and he’s expected to play on Saturday against the Blazers. And if he makes it through that one, look for him again on Sunday against the Thunder. Chris Paul could also play in both games, but I’m not going to hold my breath on that one, as his knee injury continues to scare the bejeezus out of his owners.

On The Wall – The Jesus and Mary Chain

John Wall started for the Wizards and had 14 points, five assists and two blocks in 21 minutes. It’s been baby steps with Wall thus far and he’s still on a minutes count, but the reality is that if he doesn’t suffer a setback, he is setting up for a big second half of the season. Jordan Crawford made an appearance last night with 19 points and three 3-pointers off the bench. He hadn’t done much since returning from a sprained ankle, but might be ready to start playing well again. However, he’ll have to do so behind Wall and a hot Bradley Beal, so I’m not expecting to see consistent big lines from Crawford.

Brand New Love – Sebadoh

Elton Brand started at center over Chris Kaman for the Mavericks and had eight points, 13 boards and two blocks in 25 minutes. Brand should be picked up if he’s still available in your league.

Jimmy, Jimmy – Ric Ocasek

Luol Deng was out again on Friday with his hamstring injury and once again, Jimmy Butler went off for 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Butler had a great summer league and I was hoping for more out of him this season, but he just hasn’t gotten much of a shot with Deng healthy for most of the season. But in his last four starts with Deng sidelined, Butler is averaging 15.5 points and 9.3 boards, and has likely earned more playing time once Deng is back, which could happen today. Just keep an eye on Butler. And I don’t know how it happened, but Kirk Hinrich caught fire for six 3-pointers, 25 points and four assists. He’s up and down like a yo-yo right now, but might be worth grabbing, as he apparently is feeling healthy. And even with Hinrich playing like it was 2007, Nate Robinson added 22 points in 21 minutes.

Repulsion – Quasi

Greivis Vasquez was benched for the fourth quarter last night, finishing with just two points, six assists and two turnovers in 24 minutes. Coach Monty Williams said “He’ll be OK” after the game, but this benching is a little concerning to me. He should bounce back on Sunday against Memphis, but if he doesn’t, the red flag will officially be flying.

Texas Never Whispers - Pavement

Kawhi Leonard had 10 points, eight boards, two assists, four steals and two 3-pointers in 28 minutes after missing Wednesday’s game with a knee injury. He’s still not putting up monster lines, but if he can start doing this on a consistent basis, he’ll be a must-own player. DeJuan Blair came out of nowhere for a season-high 22 points and four rebounds with Tim Duncan out again, but has been far too unreliable to use, even on nights when Duncan will sit. Manu Ginobili played just eight minutes and he should be benched until he starts getting more run from the coaching staff.

Two Points (guards) For Honesty - Guster

Raymond Felton is expected to start for the Knicks on Saturday, while Jason Kidd, who will move to the bench in order for Iman Shumpert to start, might sit out with a sore back. Kidd could use a day off given all the minutes he’s played this season, so I’m planning as if he won’t play today.

Wished I Was A Giant – Guided By Voices

Andrea Bargnani (elbow) is a couple weeks away from returning for the Raptors, while teammate Jonas Valanciunas (finger) could return as soon as next Saturday. We’re eventually going to have a real logjam involving those two and current starters Amir Johnson and Ed Davis, so owners of all four should plan accordingly, and stock up on aspirin.

First Breath After Coma – Explosions In The Sky

Patrick Patterson had 18 points, 13 boards, a block and a 3-pointer on Friday night. He’s been struggling to produce, but finally looked good last night. It’s time to put him on your radar.

Off He Goes – Pearl Jam

Spencer Hawes has been working with the first unit for the Sixers and could see a bump in value if he ends up winning the job. If you need a center in a deep league, keep a close eye on Hawes. Just remember that Andrew Bynum is supposedly going to be ready to play around the All-Star break.

Sleep Sunshine – The Whigs

Marreese Speights debuted for the Cavaliers and had 10 points and six boards off the bench. It looks like he’s going to get some run off the bench and is worth a deep-league look for his new team, but Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson are locked into the starting five the rest of the way.

Steve "Dr. A" Alexander is the senior editor for the NBA for Rotoworld.com and a contributor to NBCSports.com. The 2014-15 NBA season marks his 13th year of covering fantasy hoops for Rotoworld. Follow him on Twitter - @Docktora.Email :Steve Alexander